Booster seat experts, I need your help!

[The Governess]

My dd5 is currently in a Britax Marathon (which we love, love, love). The seat is almost 5 years old. She is about 42 pounds and 44 inches tall. I recently re-configured the straps on her seat because they were too low, and they are now on the tallest setting. I read in the manual that while the weight limit is 65 pounds for her seat, the height limit is 48 inches OR once the tops of the ears are level with the top of the seat. Her ears are about 2 inches below the top of the seat. I'm guessing that by the end of the year she will need to be moved into a new seat, maybe sooner if she has a big growth spurt this year. She'll be 6 in June.

 

So, I'm doing some research. I have read that, ideally, I should be keeping her in a 5pt harness as long as possible. I heard good things on this forum about the Radian seat so I'm looking into that one. Is it comfortable for long drives? We do quite a bit of traveling about and I want a seat that dd5 will be able to sleep in. I'm also wondering if it's worth it to purchase a 5 pt harness seat that she will only be able to get another 5 inches out of before I have to buy her a booster. I don't like the idea of having to make two more purchases. The 5 point harness is also becoming a bit of an issue as dd5 likes to wear dresses and having to buckle between her legs is starting to get awkward.

 

Another seat that I am intrigued by and would like more info on is the Clek Oobr booster seat. It is a convertible booster and can be used with the back or without. Both ways it can be used up to 57 inches, at which point she would be 4 ft 9 in and ready for a regular seat. So if I went with this it would be my last carseat purchase for her. It also has rigid latch attachments which I like because it means the seat won't move while she is getting in and out of it and if she is not in the car I don't have to remember to strap it in. And, it reclines and has a comfy looking headrest. But again, I don't have much info on it other than that it was on the IIHS's "best bet" list for boosters and that I like the look of the features it provides. Every consumer review I have read has been very positive, but the company hasn't released any crash test ratings as far as I can tell, and consumer reports hasn't rated it.

 

One last piece of info is that dd5 is very safety conscious. I am confident that she would follow the rules of proper seatbelt usage, keep it on properly in the car, etc. I know this can be an issue with booster seats so I wanted to throw that in.

 

So, if you were in my situation, what would you choose? One of the above, or a different option?

 

Thanks!!

[teamturner]

I was just going to start a thread about this very issue, but my dd is almost 4 but she is big for her age. She's outgrown her Britax Marathon.

 

Thanks for posting!! :lurk5:

[The Governess]

I was just going to start a thread about this very issue, but my dd is almost 4 but she is big for her age. She's outgrown her Britax Marathon.

 

Thanks for posting!! :lurk5:

 

I hope we get some good responses!!

[melissel]

We opted for Britax Frontiers when we were in this position. We've been very happy with them, with the exception of a few small details (nothing that would affect performance, just little things that they may have even fixed by now). Here are the details:

 

http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/frontier

 

It's pricy, but it should last you a good long time. I won't go into the whole story, but we ended up putting our DD (6 at the time) in her Frontier as a booster, and I'm sorry we did. Once they get used to the regular car seat belt, I don't think there's any going back. My DD7, who's very safety conscious and will do pretty much anything we tell her if we tell her it will keep her safer, recently tested the five-point harness in the Frontier and just hated it, so we'll be keeping the younger one in much longer.

 

The only time I would not recommend this seat is if you are going to use it as a booster in a minivan with a second row that's shorter to allow access to the third row, and the child in question is in the second row next to the third-rwo access spot (how's that for a sentence?!). Our DD7 is in that spot now, and I don't like the way the seat belt slides through the guide because it's so far from the anchor point on the wall of the car. But it's easily remedied by moving them around.

 

HTH!

Edited January 11, 2010 by melissel
We have Frontiers, not Regents!

[courtney.byrum]

If she will ride safely then she'd be fine in a booster when she outgrows the Marathon.

 

Having said that: my kids both ride in a Graco Nautilus and seem quite content. My 5.5 yr old (6 in July) is 45 lbs and 44.5 inches, my 4 yr old (5 in Sept) is 39 lbs and 41.5 inches. They have the same torso height though so I expect them both to outgrow the harness at the same time.

 

Both kids are on the 2nd slot down with last check about an inch of growth before we need to move to the top slot. So they have about 3 inches of torso growth before they outgrow the harness and we have to convert to a booster. The Nautilus harnesses to 65 lbs and then boosters to 100 lbs. I think the high back booster has a max height of 57" and then it converts to a backless booster.

[The Governess]

We opted for Britax Regents when we were in this position. We've been very happy with them, with the exception of a few small details (nothing that would affect performance, just little things that they may have even fixed by now). Here are the details:

 

http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/frontier

 

It's pricy, but it should last you a good long time. I won't go into the whole story, but we ended up putting our DD (6 at the time) in her Frontier as a booster, and I'm sorry we did. Once they get used to the regular car seat belt, I don't think there's any going back. My DD7, who's very safety conscious and will do pretty much anything we tell her if we tell her it will keep her safer, recently tested the five-point harness in the Frontier and just hated it, so we'll be keeping the younger one in much longer.

 

The only time I would not recommend this seat is if you are going to use it as a booster in a minivan with a second row that's shorter to allow access to the third row, and the child in question is in the second row next to the third-rwo access spot (how's that for a sentence?!). Our DD7 is in that spot now, and I don't like the way the seat belt slides through the guide because it's so far from the anchor point on the wall of the car. But it's easily remedied by moving them around.

 

HTH!

 

Thanks for the recommendation! This looks like it might be a more comfortable alternative to the Radian.

 

What do you plan on doing when your dd outgrows the Regent but still needs some sort of booster? Will you get a full-back booster or backless?

[The Governess]

If she will ride safely then she'd be fine in a booster when she outgrows the Marathon.

 

Having said that: my kids both ride in a Graco Nautilus and seem quite content. My 5.5 yr old (6 in July) is 45 lbs and 44.5 inches, my 4 yr old (5 in Sept) is 39 lbs and 41.5 inches. They have the same torso height though so I expect them both to outgrow the harness at the same time.

 

Both kids are on the 2nd slot down with last check about an inch of growth before we need to move to the top slot. So they have about 3 inches of torso growth before they outgrow the harness and we have to convert to a booster. The Nautilus harnesses to 65 lbs and then boosters to 100 lbs. I think the high back booster has a max height of 57" and then it converts to a backless booster.

 

Thanks! Do you find that the booster moves around much when your kids get in and out? Do you buckle it in when they aren't in the car with you? I'm trying to figure out how all this stuff works in real life. :D

[Mommy22alyns]

I recommend the Britax Regent. Both of my girls are still riding in 5 pt. harnesses and will be 7 and 5 in March.

 

Going to a belt-positioning booster is still risky, no matter how mature and big a child is. The fact is, a seat belt doesn't hold the child as securely in the event of a crash, and young kids can suffer chest impact injuries from a belt vs. 5 pt. harness.

 

You may have heard about Kyle David Miller; also (if you can, it's very sad) look up the story of Isabelle Broadhead. :(

Edited January 11, 2010 by Mommy22alyns

[melissel]

Thanks for the recommendation! This looks like it might be a more comfortable alternative to the Radian.

 

What do you plan on doing when your dd outgrows the Regent but still needs some sort of booster? Will you get a full-back booster or backless?

 

Ack, sorry! I misspoke (but linked the right seat). We actually got Frontiers for both girls. DD4 is still in hers, but DD7 is now in a Sunshine Kids Monterey:

 

http://www.skjp.com/product/150XX

 

She was using the Frontier in booster mode anyway, and when DD4 needed a new seat in DH's car, we gave her DD7's Frontier and bought the Monterey. The Monterey is good, and we like it. She's comfortable in it, it reclines nicely when we need it to (though when you recline a booster, you decrease the safety factor slightly, since you're increasing the risk of the child slipping under the bottom belt, FWIW), and the side impact protection is significant without making her feel like her head is in a vice :D We're the "err on the side of safety" people (well, ok, I am, not so much DH :lol:), so she'll be in the high-back booster until she outgrows it (and it's taaaaall), then the back comes off the Monterey and it's a backless booster.

 

Oh, and ETA that you should beware that the Frontier is very wide (I think the Nautilus is too), so if you're trying to fit several kids across, or you have that short second row like I do (oh, the things I wish I'd known then!) and need to put two kids side by side, you should measure carefully. We could fit the two Frontiers side by side on our short row, but just barely, and the tight squeeze combined with floppy seat belt connectors (rather than rigid stalks) made it SO annoying to buckle DD7 in in booster mode. Another very small detail, but one I wish I'd known!

 

Thanks! Do you find that the booster moves around much when your kids get in and out? Do you buckle it in when they aren't in the car with you? I'm trying to figure out how all this stuff works in real life. :D

 

You didn't ask me this, but I'll answer you based on my experience anyway :lol: If your car has LATCH anchors, you can latch the booster (assuming it has latch locks, some of the less expensive ones don't) to the lower anchors and it will stay in place nicely. You most likely cannot use the anchors to anchor a harnessed seat anymore (unless your car is very new, but check your manual either way), because the LATCH anchors are only supposed to go up to something like 40 pounds of weight, but if you're using a belt-positioning booster seat (assuming it weighs less than 40 pounds), you can use the LATCH anchors to hold the seat in place because they're not what's restraining your child anymore, the actual seat belt itself is. (I hope I'm making sense!)

 

And if you do not have LATCH, or the booster you buy doesn't have LATCH locks, yes, you should buckle it in when the child isn't in the car, because in an accident, it can and will go flying.

Edited January 11, 2010 by melissel

[olan719]

We use the Britax Frontier. We moved to these when we purchased our new van, and we put the Britax Marathons in DH's car. My DDs are currently 5 years old. I am a carseat safety nut, and I chose the Frontier because they can stay in the 5 point harness to 80 pounds, and the seat until 100 pounds with seatbelt.

 

We really love these seats. The kids are comfortable, and they are easy to climb in and out of. We looked at the Graco Nautilus, but once I compared them side by side, the Frontier is much sturdier and "safer" feeling.

[Mommyof4ks]

We love our Nautilus for my 4.5 yr old 44", 49 lb son. He still uses the 5pt harness, and it goes up to 65lbs or 52" before transitioning to a high back booster. He is very comfy in it even riding in the van for 2.5 hours to visit great grandparents. We figure he has a couple of more years in the 5pt harness unless he has a big growth spurt.

 

I also have a 6 yr old in a booster (he is a big guy lol) and an older dd who is 9 who is 5ft tall and out of a booster. The boosters do tip over when the kids get out unless they slide down out of the front of it (if that makes sense). My middle son still tries to get out of his on the side and he has fallen out of the van a couple of times, but he cannot get himself buckled properly so I cannot put him in the very back to prevent that. It would be helpful if the LATCH thing would work above 40lbs in my van and was safe to use with the seatbelt *sigh*. Maybe someday safety in cars will catch up with the carseats that we love so much! Heck, I wish they had 5pt harnesses for adults, but I do understand it is hard to get adults to wear even the one click kind.

[rafiki]

.

[melissel]

It would be helpful if the LATCH thing would work above 40lbs in my van and was safe to use with the seatbelt *sigh*.

 

It is, as far as I know, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I did a ton of research on this just a few months ago and all signs pointed to yes on this issue, because the LATCH is just holding onto the seat, not your child. In fact, there was some theorizing that it's actually safer to latch in your booster, because then the seat belt itself is only bearing the weight of your child (and not your child's weight + the seat's weight) in an accident.

[Strengthen My Hands]

:lurk5: Thanks, never thought of using the LATCH with the booster. I always hated the way my boys used to rock their boosters! This should help when we get to that point.

 

I think I'm going to move my 4yo dd to the Frontier when new baby arrives. I will use the 5 point harness as long as possible though.

[grace'smom]

We opted for Britax Regents when we were in this position. We've been very happy with them, with the exception of a few small details (nothing that would affect performance, just little things that they may have even fixed by now). Here are the details:

 

http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/frontier

 

It's pricy, but it should last you a good long time. I won't go into the whole story, but we ended up putting our DD (6 at the time) in her Frontier as a booster, and I'm sorry we did. Once they get used to the regular car seat belt, I don't think there's any going back. My DD7, who's very safety conscious and will do pretty much anything we tell her if we tell her it will keep her safer, recently tested the five-point harness in the Frontier and just hated it, so we'll be keeping the younger one in much longer.

 

The only time I would not recommend this seat is if you are going to use it as a booster in a minivan with a second row that's shorter to allow access to the third row, and the child in question is in the second row next to the third-rwo access spot (how's that for a sentence?!). Our DD7 is in that spot now, and I don't like the way the seat belt slides through the guide because it's so far from the anchor point on the wall of the car. But it's easily remedied by moving them around.

 

HTH!

 

I did not know you could use the Regent as a booster? We have one and we are still using the 5 point harness, but I am starting to wonder if my daughter is old enough to just buckle and unbuckle her own seatbelt. I had been thinking of switching to a booster but was worried about safety. Are you saying she can use the Regent with a regular seatbelt? Just take out the harness piece? :001_smile:

[melissel]

I did not know you could use the Regent as a booster? We have one and we are still using the 5 point harness' date=' but I am starting to wonder if my daughter is old enough to just buckle and unbuckle her own seatbelt. I had been thinking of switching to a booster but was worried about safety. Are you saying she can use the Regent with a regular seatbelt? Just take out the harness piece? :001_smile:[/quote']

 

No, sorry! I meant to fix that. We actually have Frontiers, not Regents. I started typing that post before I went to get the link and realized I was wrong!

[Cera]

We have the Britax Frontier as our primary seat for our 5 year old (one in each car) and a Graco Nautilus as our backup seat kept at the grandparents house for when we fly home to visit. Both have worked out great for us. My 5 year old is around the 50% for height and I expect her to fit in the harness for at least another year or so.

 

When making the decision this time I chose the seats that met my criteria and left it up to the 5 year old to choose the style and color that she liked best. At 5 a lot of her friends have moved to boosters and I wanted her to be happy with her seat and accepting of the harness (not that harnessing was really a choice). We went out together to try out all of the options and then ooked online at available colors for each one. She actually preferred the Graco Nautilus but it was only out in gray when we purchased so she picked the pink frontier. They now have a great butterfly print (mariposa) available.

[The Governess]

You didn't ask me this, but I'll answer you based on my experience anyway :lol: If your car has LATCH anchors, you can latch the booster (assuming it has latch locks, some of the less expensive ones don't) to the lower anchors and it will stay in place nicely. You most likely cannot use the anchors to anchor a harnessed seat anymore (unless your car is very new, but check your manual either way), because the LATCH anchors are only supposed to go up to something like 40 pounds of weight, but if you're using a belt-positioning booster seat (assuming it weighs less than 40 pounds), you can use the LATCH anchors to hold the seat in place because they're not what's restraining your child anymore, the actual seat belt itself is. (I hope I'm making sense!)

 

And if you do not have LATCH, or the booster you buy doesn't have LATCH locks, yes, you should buckle it in when the child isn't in the car, because in an accident, it can and will go flying.

 

You're making total sense! Okay, so the Frontier. :D It does look great! I like that it will last us until she is 10. And I am happy to know that it does latch in. I guess I was under the impression that most don't latch, so it's good to know that this is not the case!

 

Ok, I have added this one to the list of potentials. Thanks for your help!!

[SonshineLearner]

The Regence (well ours in the Husky, but the "new" name turned into Regence or something similar...) still fits our 6 1/2 year old. I think a 5 pt is worth it... He's actually still under the top spot for the shoulder strap. He's 45 inches and I expect that he'll use it for another year or so... (I'll have him in it for as long as I can) I do like the Radian seat... how tall can they be for that? The Husky is BIG and the Regence seems to be much more compact...

 

:-)

[melissel]

It is, as far as I know, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I did a ton of research on this just a few months ago and all signs pointed to yes on this issue, because the LATCH is just holding onto the seat, not your child. In fact, there was some theorizing that it's actually safer to latch in your booster, because then the seat belt itself is only bearing the weight of your child (and not your child's weight + the seat's weight) in an accident.

 

:lurk5: Thanks, never thought of using the LATCH with the booster. I always hated the way my boys used to rock their boosters! This should help when we get to that point.

 

I think I'm going to move my 4yo dd to the Frontier when new baby arrives. I will use the 5 point harness as long as possible though.

 

OK, I just did some more quick research, and it looks like boosters that are JUST boosters and that have LATCH locks are designed to be latched into the anchors to prevent movement of the seat--they would not have LATCH locks otherwise (for example, our Monterey, which is a high-back booster only and yet has the locks specifically for this purpose).

 

However, if you have a seat that functions as both a harnessed seat AND a booster seat (for example, our Frontiers), it was not necessarily designed and safety tested as a booster seat with the LATCH locks connected. You should check with your seat manufacturer to see if that is a safe method of use. Again, someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll keep looking for an answer on this one.

[melissel]

She actually preferred the Graco Nautilus but it was only out in gray when we purchased so she picked the pink frontier.

 

:lol: The pink and the cool cup holders were what sold my girls on the Frontier. Thankfully, we'd already decided, because they were adamant about having that one!

 

You're making total sense! Okay, so the Frontier. :D It does look great! I like that it will last us until she is 10. And I am happy to know that it does latch in. I guess I was under the impression that most don't latch, so it's good to know that this is not the case!

 

Ok, I have added this one to the list of potentials. Thanks for your help!!

 

Just to confirm, the Frontier does in fact allow this:

 

Q. How tight does the install have to be when using LATCH/Universal Anchorage System for the Frontier in booster mode - less than 1" of movement as in harnessed mode or just secure?

 

A. The use of LATCH/UAS to position the Frontier in booster mode is a convenience feature. The vehicle seat belt system is restraining the child in the event of an impact. While the 1" rule is not as important, Britax would recommend that you pull the LATCH/lower connector straps tight with reasonable effort and force to remove the slack in the straps (a.k.a. webbing).

 

Glad I could help :D I love when all my research into these kinds of things can do double duty!

[SonshineLearner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

 

Wanna see some reasons why you should use a 5-pt instead of a booster? Have you seen Kyle on Youtube? This will convince you!

[The Governess]

We use the Britax Frontier. We moved to these when we purchased our new van, and we put the Britax Marathons in DH's car. My DDs are currently 5 years old. I am a carseat safety nut, and I chose the Frontier because they can stay in the 5 point harness to 80 pounds, and the seat until 100 pounds with seatbelt.

 

We really love these seats. The kids are comfortable, and they are easy to climb in and out of. We looked at the Graco Nautilus, but once I compared them side by side, the Frontier is much sturdier and "safer" feeling.

 

Thanks for the review and comparison!

 

We love our Nautilus for my 4.5 yr old 44", 49 lb son. He still uses the 5pt harness, and it goes up to 65lbs or 52" before transitioning to a high back booster. He is very comfy in it even riding in the van for 2.5 hours to visit great grandparents. We figure he has a couple of more years in the 5pt harness unless he has a big growth spurt.

 

I also have a 6 yr old in a booster (he is a big guy lol) and an older dd who is 9 who is 5ft tall and out of a booster. The boosters do tip over when the kids get out unless they slide down out of the front of it (if that makes sense). My middle son still tries to get out of his on the side and he has fallen out of the van a couple of times, but he cannot get himself buckled properly so I cannot put him in the very back to prevent that. It would be helpful if the LATCH thing would work above 40lbs in my van and was safe to use with the seatbelt *sigh*. Maybe someday safety in cars will catch up with the carseats that we love so much! Heck, I wish they had 5pt harnesses for adults, but I do understand it is hard to get adults to wear even the one click kind.

 

Yes, I was also under the impression that you could latch the booster in if latches were provided, but don't know for sure either.

 

You would need the Clek Oobr, but I wanted to share that my older two (ages 8 and 9.5) are in Clek Ollis http://www.magnaclek.com/us/english/olli/colors.aspx and we have really been pleased with their seats.

 

Good to know, thanks!!

 

We have the Britax Frontier as our primary seat for our 5 year old (one in each car) and a Graco Nautilus as our backup seat kept at the grandparents house for when we fly home to visit. Both have worked out great for us. My 5 year old is around the 50% for height and I expect her to fit in the harness for at least another year or so.

 

When making the decision this time I chose the seats that met my criteria and left it up to the 5 year old to choose the style and color that she liked best. At 5 a lot of her friends have moved to boosters and I wanted her to be happy with her seat and accepting of the harness (not that harnessing was really a choice). We went out together to try out all of the options and then ooked online at available colors for each one. She actually preferred the Graco Nautilus but it was only out in gray when we purchased so she picked the pink frontier. They now have a great butterfly print (mariposa) available.

 

Thanks! My girls would be all over the butterfly print. :D

 

It is, as far as I know, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I did a ton of research on this just a few months ago and all signs pointed to yes on this issue, because the LATCH is just holding onto the seat, not your child. In fact, there was some theorizing that it's actually safer to latch in your booster, because then the seat belt itself is only bearing the weight of your child (and not your child's weight + the seat's weight) in an accident.

 

I hope you are right, I'll do some research too and see if we can get to the bottom of this!

[The Governess]

Just to confirm, the Frontier does in fact allow this:

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent, thank you!!

[Mommyof4ks]

It is, as far as I know, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I did a ton of research on this just a few months ago and all signs pointed to yes on this issue, because the LATCH is just holding onto the seat, not your child. In fact, there was some theorizing that it's actually safer to latch in your booster, because then the seat belt itself is only bearing the weight of your child (and not your child's weight + the seat's weight) in an accident.

 

Oh you make a good point! I know our van's owners manual says we cannot use the LATCH over 40 lbs with the 5pt. harness, but I just looked and it does not say anything about whether or not I could use the LATCH with the booster. The carseat manual says the LATCH could not be used over 48lbs, but I don't know if that is different in the booster position. I guess I just assumed that after 48 lbs we could no longer use it. I need to find that manual and double check. If I can use it, then I will put that LATCH thing back on there. Thanks!

[WiseOwlKnits]

My kids are in Graco Nautiluses. We absolutely love them. You can 5-pt harness, high-back booster, or backless booster. It goes up to (I believe) 100 lbs.

[The Governess]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

 

Wanna see some reasons why you should use a 5-pt instead of a booster? Have you seen Kyle on Youtube? This will convince you!

 

That is so sad. :sad::sad::sad:

 

So, I'm a little confused now. My dd is probably above the weight allowance for being able to use the LATCH system. I have read 40 pounds and 48 pounds as maximum weights for the latch system. She is about 43 pounds, so I have her secured in our vehicle with the seatbelt. So she is in a 5 point harness, but there is still a chance of seatbelt failure. Either way, whether in a booster or a seatbelt secured harnessed carseat, the seatbelt could fail and a tragedy could occur.

 

So, what do you do? :confused:

 

I also have a feeling that there are people who are using the LATCH system well beyond the max weight of 48 pounds with these higher capacity seats, without knowing that it isn't safe.

[melissel]

Oh you make a good point! I know our van's owners manual says we cannot use the LATCH over 40 lbs with the 5pt. harness, but I just looked and it does not say anything about whether or not I could use the LATCH with the booster. The carseat manual says the LATCH could not be used over 48lbs, but I don't know if that is different in the booster position. I guess I just assumed that after 48 lbs we could no longer use it. I need to find that manual and double check. If I can use it, then I will put that LATCH thing back on there. Thanks!

 

Sure thing! And if your manual doesn't address it, contact the manufacturer. Apparently some are approving the use retroactively. I was just searching for whether the Nautilus could do it too, and found some discussion on a change in their policy to allow it in spite of what their manual said at the time (early 2008).

 

Excellent, thank you!!

 

It looks like the Nautilus can do it too, based on the info here:

 

Note: Your vehicle's manual may state a set weight limit for its LATCH anchors (40 or 48 lbs). For use with children above this weight while still in the 5-point harness, the seat must be installed using vehicle seat belts. As a backless booster, use only the vehicle lap and shoulder belts to secure both child and seat. You may install the seat with LATCH or seat belts for both the harnessed seating configuration and the high back booster mode; however, you cannot use LATCH to install the Nautilus as a backless booster.

 

And with that, I'm off to my make myself a BIG salad for dinner :D Good luck with your research!

[Spy Car]

I heard good things on this forum about the Radian seat so I'm looking into that one. Is it comfortable for long drives?

 

We have a Radian 80 (I believe there is a new model with better side head protection) I just asked my son and he says it's very comfy.

 

As to safety, the Radians are steel-framed (built like tanks) yet narrow (because they are not plastic like Britax). I could not be happier with the Radian car seats.

 

Bill

[staceyobu]

We bought a Nautilis recently for my five year old. It seemed pretty popular amongst "car seat people".

[The Governess]

We have a Radian 80 (I believe there is a new model with better side head protection) I just asked my son and he says it's very comfy.

 

As to safety, the Radians are steel-framed (built like tanks) yet narrow (because they are not plastic like Britax). I could not be happier with the Radian car seats.

 

Bill

 

Thanks, Bill! Actually I think that some of your previous posts on this topic are what had me looking into the Radian in the first place. :001_smile:

 

We bought a Nautilis recently for my five year old. It seemed pretty popular amongst "car seat people".

 

Thanks! Another vote for the Nautilus...I will have to start tallying these soon! It seems though, that the main contenders are the Radian, the Frontier, and the Nautilus.

 

This discussion has been very helpful!

[Cera]

That is so sad. :sad::sad::sad:

 

So, I'm a little confused now. My dd is probably above the weight allowance for being able to use the LATCH system. I have read 40 pounds and 48 pounds as maximum weights for the latch system. She is about 43 pounds, so I have her secured in our vehicle with the seatbelt. So she is in a 5 point harness, but there is still a chance of seatbelt failure. Either way, whether in a booster or a seatbelt secured harnessed carseat, the seatbelt could fail and a tragedy could occur.

 

So, what do you do? :confused:

 

I also have a feeling that there are people who are using the LATCH system well beyond the max weight of 48 pounds with these higher capacity seats, without knowing that it isn't safe.

 

True, the seatbelt could still fail but with a harnessed seat your seatbelt and the top tether would both have to fail, and even then your child is strapped into the seat and has some protection (seatbelt failure happens very rarely and at the buckle). With a standard booster if the seatbelt fails your child is on their own.

 

The majority of preventable injuries for kids in standard boosters are do to an improper fit or improper usage. Kids really have to sit still and in the right position to be properly protected by a seatbelt which is something that I just don't trust my 5 year old to do.

[mom2jjka]

This video was all the convincing I needed to keep my older kids harnessed longer - vs. moving them to a booster too soon.

 

It's a sled-type crash test.

The child in the foreground is in a high-back booster, while the child in the back is harnessed.

 

http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/maxicosirodi.mpg

 

BTW - I'm a CPST. ;-)

 

About the LATCH limits for vehicles - it really depends on the vehicle - READ the vehicle manual to find out the limits for your particular vehicle! And then read the CARSEAT manual to find out if your carseat allows LATCH and the seatbelt to be used together.

Some booster seats DO allow this, but others do NOT, and you would be using your own child as a 'crash test dummy' if you do not follow the manufacturers instructions. :-(

 

READ the MANUALS!!!! ( I can't stress that enough!)

Edited January 11, 2010 by mom2jjka

[~Kirsten~]

Thanks! Another vote for the Nautilus...I will have to start tallying these soon! It seems though, that the main contenders are the Radian, the Frontier, and the Nautilus.

 

This discussion has been very helpful!

 

Thank you so much for starting this discussion! We're just starting the search process to replace our Britax Marathon for my rather tall DD, and I'm completely uncomfortable with putting her in a booster, even though she is very compliant and safety-conscious (and there is no WAY I'd put her much-less-compliant younger sister in a booster :tongue_smilie:). I hadn't heard of the Radian, so I'm glad to have options to consider beyond Britax. I'll continue watching, too! :lurk5: